This invention relates to a rotary valve for a water conditioner, and more particularly to a rotary valve incorporating features providing a lower cost of manufacture and increased performance capabilities.
A rotary valve is typically utilized in a water conditioning system to control an automatic water softener which includes a mineral bed which is periodically backwashed and then regenerated with brine supplied from a brine tank.
It is known to provide a rotary valve for placement at the open upper end of the mineral tank of the water softener. The valve functions in conjunction with the brine tank to selectively place the system into a service mode, a backwash mode, a brine/slow rinse mode and a fast rinse/brine tank refill mode.
One such valve assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,150 to Gagas, owned by the same assignee as the present application. The valve structure disclosed in this patent has been found to provide satisfactory operation. However, the valve disclosed in this patent has a relatively high cost of manufacture, in that several gluing operations must take place in assembling the various components of the valve.
The present invention has as its object to provide a rotary valve structure for a water conditioning system of simple and efficient design, providing a reduced cost of manufacture while increasing the performance capabilities and overall life of the valve structure. Another object of the invention is to provide a valve structure which is easily and cheaply adaptable to various use environments.
In accordance with the invention, a rotary valve adapted for mounting to the open top of a mineral tank comprises a valve body formed from an upper section, a lower section, and a middle section. The sections are mounted to each other such that the lower surface of the upper section is disposed against the upper surface of the middle section, and the upper surface of the lower section is disposed against the lower surface of the middle section. Each section includes one or more flow passages which communicate with each other when the sections are assembled to define a water flow path having an external inlet, an outlet into the tank, an inlet from the tank, and an external outlet. A ported rotor member is disposed between two of the valve body sections for controlling the flow of water through the passages formed in the sections. The ports in the rotor member open onto a surface adapted for placement adjacent to a surface of the valve middle section. A drive system is provided for selectively rotating the rotor member within the valve body to selectively place the passages in the valve body sections in communication with each other to control the flow path of water through the valve body.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an improved drive system is provided for imparting rotation to the rotor member of a rotary valve. The drive system comprises spaced Geneva cam surfaces on the rotor member, and a Geneva drive shaft engagable with the cam surfaces and movably mounted to the valve body. Drive means selectively imparts rotation to the Geneva drive shaft. The Geneva drive system for the rotor member eliminates inaccuracies introduced by prior art drive systems which typically comprised a rotating worm gear engagable with a worm wheel, or a pinion gear engagable with a spur gear.
The valve body can be assembled for either an upflow brining application or a downflow brining application. The upper and middle sections of the valve body have flow passages arranged so as to be usable in either application. Either an upflow or a downflow lower section is assembled to the upper and middle sections, depending on the application for the particular valve being assembled. In this manner, the valve body can cheaply and easily be adapted for use in either application.
A brine valve assembly is mounted to the exterior of the valve body. The brine valve is preferably assembled to the valve body middle section, which facilitates adaptability of the valve to either an upflow brining application or a downflow brining application.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an improved structure is provided for a valve seat disposed between the lower surface of the rotor member and a surface of the valve body adjacent thereto. The valve seat member is constructed of an annular stiffening member surrounded by a thermoplastic elastomeric material. The stiffening member is preferably in the form of a ring. The elastomeric material is formed around the stiffening ring so as to provide openings extending between opposite surfaces of the valve seat member. The elastomeric material is formed so as to provide rib structures on both sides of the valve seat member surrounding the openings to provide a fluid-tight seal between the rotor member and the surface of the valve body adjacent thereto.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, structure is provided on the valve body for blending hard water from the inlet of the valve into the conditioned water, at the option of the operator. An inlet cavity is preferably formed in the valve body upper section for receiving intake hard water. A lug having a vertical passage is formed on the upper section adjacent a wall forming the inlet cavity. A treated water outlet is preferably formed in the valve body middle section, and the vertical passage is located over the treated water outlet. When hard water blending is desired, an opening is formed between the vertical passage and the hard water inlet cavity, and an opening is formed between the lower end of the vertical passage and the treated water outlet. A manually adjustable bonnett valve is placed in the vertical passage, to control the amount of hard water flowing from the inlet cavity to the treated water outlet.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, an improved bypass valve structure is provided for controlling whether hard water is supplied to the inlet of the conditioner valve body or bypassed around the conditioner valve directly to the outlet. The bypass valve includes a valve body having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, and inlet and outlet ports. The bypass valve body is adapted for connection to the conditioner valve body such that the bypass valve inlet and outlet ports communicate with the inlet and outlet, respectively, of the conditioner valve. The bypass valve inlet passage and outlet passages are aligned with the inlet and outlet ports, respectively, and a spool passage is disposed therebetween. A spool member is disposed within the spool passage, and includes flow diverting structure which, when the spool member is in its bypass position, directs water directly from the bypass valve inlet passage to the bypass valve outlet passage through the spool passage. In its operating position, the flow diverting structure cuts off communication between the bypass valve inlet passage and its outlet passage, and diverts water from the inlet passage to the inlet of the conditioner valve.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in view of the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention taken together with the drawings.